Issue 01 — April 2026
The shortlist of AI agents for builders.
AI coverage is mostly slop — vendor demos, influencer takes, listicles padded with affiliate links. We test the way builders actually work. The only question we care about: does this generate real value?
Why Agent Shortlist exists
Most AI coverage is influencer slop. We write for builders who ship.
01
We test until they break
Every tool we cover gets put through real workflows until something breaks. We document what broke, what surprised us, and what would be a waste of your time to learn. Vendor demos don't count as evidence.
02
We name names
No 50-tool listicles. No affiliate-padded rankings. No sponsored content dressed as editorial. We pick a winner and tell you why. If a tool is hyped but broken, we say so. If we're wrong, we publish the correction.
03
Value is the metric
Revenue. Time saved. Hours back in your week. The only question we ask of any tool: does it actually generate value for the people using it? Not engagement, not impressions, not vibes. Real value, in production.